LONDON—A former GCHQ worker who described himself as a “terrorist” has been jailed for life for attempting to murder an employee of the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA).
Joshua Bowles, 29, was told he must serve at least 13 years behind bars for repeatedly stabbing the woman—who was working at GCHQ, Britain’s intelligence and eavesdropping centre—at a leisure centre in Cheltenham on March 9 this year.
The woman—who has not been identified and was only referred to in court by the code number 99230—suffered multiple stab wounds but survived the attack, which took place three miles from GCHQ.
Sentencing Bowles on Monday, the judge, Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubb, ruled it was a “politically-motivated attack” and Bowles had been trying to “disrupt the UK intelligence community” and the relationship between Britain and the United States.
She decided it was a “terrorist attack” and she pointed out Bowles had researched Unabomber Ted Kaczynski and had also searched on the internet for “anti-tech revolution” and other terms which suggested he shared some of the beliefs of Kazcysnksi.
On Friday, the court heard from prosecutor Duncan Penny, KC, how Bowles had carried out a “premeditated, targeted and vicious” attack on the woman, who had taken part in a netball game at the leisure centre in Tommy Taylors Lane and was leaving with a friend at 9:15 p.m.
Mr. Penny said: “She was attacked by a man who was carrying two knives and she was stabbed three times outside, and in the reception area of, a leisure centre in Cheltenham.”
He said: “The attack which the perpetrator launched was intended to be lethal, that the helpless victim survived it was mere happenstance.”
“Her selection as the target for this attack was entirely and solely associated with her role as a US government employee in the National Security Agency of the United States,” added Mr. Penny.
Target Was Selected Because She Worked for NSA
He told the police after his arrest: “The target was selected for her employment at the NSA. Due to the size and resourcing, American intelligence represents the largest contributor within the intelligence community so made sense as the symbolic target. I consider GCHQ just as guilty.”The victim and her friend ran back into the leisure centre but Bowles chased them and stabbed 99230 again before she found sanctuary in a netball court.
A passer-by, Steve Bunn, stayed with Bowles until the police arrived and Mr. Bunn said Bowles told him about GCHQ and was, “making out that he was disgusted by the manner in which they gather information and use things against people,” and was, “appalled by the agency (99230) works for.”
Mr. Bunn recalled Bowles saying he could not, “handle the murky waters of ethics“ and referring to, ”the power that the American NSA have and the things they do.”
Defence Barrister Blames ‘Bravado’
But defence barrister Tim Forte said his client’s references to terrorism were an attempt to make his motivations more grandiose than they really were and he said he was primarily motivated by having lost his job and been dumped by his girlfriend.Mr. Forte said his client’s comments were “bravado” and his real reasons for the attack were, “petty and embarrassing.”
He said his client had been living an “incel” lifestyle at the time of the incident, angry at not having a girlfriend and for being unemployed.
Britain is part of the Five Eyes group—an Anglo-sphere intelligence-sharing alliance made up of the UK, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—and a number of U.S. nationals are based at GCHQ at any one time.
GCHQ is home to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which earlier this year warned of the increasing danger to infrastructure from Chinese hackers.
Originally known as the Government Code and Cypher School, GCHQ was founded just after the First World War in Watergate House, in London, and was designed to build on the work of the Signals Intelligence Corps during the war.
In 1951, GCHQ moved to a purpose-built site on the outskirts of Cheltenham which, since 2003, has housed around 5,000 workers in a distinctive building known as The Doughnut.
In November 2003, Katharine Gun, a GCHQ worker, was charged under the Official Secrets Act after she handed over information to The Observer newspaper, which alleged the United States had conducted a spying operation on the representatives of six countries whose votes on the United Nations Security Council would be key to whether the U.N. approved the invasion of Iraq.
In February 2004, the prosecution offered no evidence against Ms. Gun, who said, “I have no regrets and I would do it again.”
